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How Many Years Does it Take to Become Nurse Practitioner? – 2/8/2013

Nurse practitioners are some of the most highly educated people in the nursing profession. They are often responsible for the primary care of patients and have the medical authority to administer drugs and fluids. Nurse practitioners often specialize in areas of obstetrics or pediatrics. Because of the in-depth training required to become a nurse practitioner and the educational requirements to become licensed, many years of formal education are required beyond high school, usually 6 to 8 years.

The Facts

To become a nurse practitioner, a student must complete a 4-year degree program in a nursing-related field. There are programs designed to train registered nurses at many colleges and universities, and these programs are aimed at helping graduates pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. A nurse practitioner doesn't need to become a registered nurse, but it can help because of the part-time work that will be available at local hospitals while continuing with the educational requirements. The 4-year degree must be in nursing at a minimum. After the 4-year degree, a student must complete a master's degree program that trains nurse practitioners. These are called Nurse Practitioner (NP) degrees. NP degrees can take 2 to 4 years.

Significance

The extensive educational requirements can resemble the requirements for medical physicians. This is because nurse practitioners can have many of the same duties as physicians, including the administering of primary care. Nurse Practitioner degree programs also carry a significant amount of clinical work, which is why the NP degree programs can take 2 to 4 years beyond earning a 4-year degree. The extensive education is also significant in that it prepares the student to be licensed as a nurse practitioner. To practice health care in a state, a graduate must become licensed by the state by passing a state exam.

Features

Most nurse practitioners work in hospitals, medical centers or the offices of family physicians. Some nurse practitioners establish their own practices, especially those who specialize in fields such as pediatrics or obstetrics. The duties and responsibilities of nurse practitioners include interpreting medical histories and performing physical examinations. They also provide diagnoses and recommend treatments. They are often responsible for treating medical conditions that do not require a specialist such as common medical conditions and injuries. They also have a limited authority to prescribe medications.

Misconceptions

There are misconceptions about the amount of training a nurse practitioner receives and the amount of educational background. Many people might hear the term nurse practitioner and assume that the position is the same as any other nurse. They don't realize that nurse practitioners are required to spend several years in a postsecondary educational environment. There can also be a misconception in the general public that nurse practitioners can only be very specialized and have extensive knowledge about a particular branch of nursing.

Expert Insight

Nurse practitioners have passed extensive educational requirements and have received many hours of advanced training. With that kind of background, nurse practitioners might expect that they would be on equal footing in hospital settings with other medical staff
. However, medical doctors can have very competitive natures, which they often need to make it through medical school, and can sometimes make efforts to let it be known that nurse practitioners are not on the same level that they are on. This can be off-putting to a nurse practitioner, and it's usually best to maintain an attitude that the care of the patient is paramount in all hospital interactions.